Pipe pushing jack



Aug- 9, 1932 c. A. CRANE, JR 1,870,607

PIPE PUSHING JACK i ornfgy.

Aug. 9, 1932:

c. A. CRANE, JR

PIPE PUSHING JACK Filed July v 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wm. Mw

me fr y;

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES A. CRANE, JR.,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TEMPLETON, KENILY & CO. LIlvZEITED,vOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS PIPE PUSHING JACKApplication led July 7, 1928. Serial No. 290,992.

eliminating the 'usual trenching for the laying of pipe as heretoforepracticed.

Another object of the invention is to provide in such a device` improvedclamping means whereby the crushing of the pipe being operated upon isavoided.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a carriage and basestructure, whereby the carriage may be removed endwise from the basewhen it is desired to change the position of the parts when in a trenchor to change the operation from pipe pushing to pipe pulling and viceversa.

A, further object of the invention is to provide a safety latch by whichthe carriage i may be locked against sliding movement on the base whenthe carriage is not in actual operation or is being handled as whenmoved from one place of operation to another.

These objects of the invention, as well as others, together with themany advantages thereof will more fully appear as I proceed with myspecification.

In` the drawings Fig. l is a front end perspective view of the device asit appears when in use in a trench for pushing a pipe through the groundat one end of the trench.

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation thereof on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig` 4 is a view in front elevation thereof.

Fig; 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the device astaken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is another transverse vertical sectional view through thecarriage and associated parts of the device as taken in a plane passingthrough the axes of the actuating levers thereof and which plane isindicated by the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

In general the improved device includes anV elongated rectangular baseor fra-me, having a shoulder flange at each end and a toothed rail alongeach side of the base on the top surface thereof. A carriage slides onsaid rails and the carriage and rails are so formed that the carriagecannot leave the rails except in an endwise direction. rEhe carriageincludes a lever operated pawl at each side thereof for feeding thecarriage along the rails and said pawls are independent of each o-therso that they may be operated either simultaneously or one at a time asis desired and when only one is operated at a time the other acts as aholding pawl. Between said lever operated pawls is provided a pipeclamping means including a plurality of wedge shaped jaws whichcompletely surround the pipe being pushed so that said pipe is notcrushed or dented* To prevent accidental shifting of the carriage on therails when the device is being moved about, a safetyV latch is providedwhich locks the carriage to the base.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustratedin the accompanying drawings :-l indicates as a whole the base or frameof the pipe pusher and 2 indica-tes as a whole the carriage which isendwise movable thereon. The base or frame is of a' length greater thanits width and is made up Vof longitudinally extending, laterally spacedchannels 3 3 and relatively deep end plates --L Each end plate which isof substantially an angle bar cross section includes a vertical endflange 5 and a hori- Zontal top flange 6 having end webs 7 7 againstwhich the'inner flanges of 4each channel 3 is engaged and bolted as at8. Spaced` laterally from the ends of the top iiange 6 of each end plateis a horizontally disposed ear 9 that engages the underside of the webof each channel 3 and is secured Jthereto as will later appear.

Upon the top surface of the web of each channel 3, along its medianline, is a rail 10-10 and the end of each rail is secured in place bybolts l1 and 12 respectively; the bolts 1l also passing through the ears9 on the end plates 3 3, the heads of said bolts being re- 13 and ineach side of each rail is formed a pair of longitudinally extendinggrooves 14: and 15 respectively. 0n the top edge of the upright flangeof each end plate, in the plane of each rail is a lug 16. Said lug isonly as wide as the most narrow part of the rail 10, the end of whichengages said lug so as to impose end thrust thereon and thus relieve thebolts 11 and 12 from excessive shearing strains.

The construction described, provides a strong rigid frame or base whichamply withstands the great strains imposed upon it without buckling orbendingr out of shape.

The carriage 2 which is a one piece steel casting includes a tubularhousing or barrel 17 with a block like runner 18 along each side, therunners being of a length greater than the housing so as to extendbeyond the rear end thereof. The housing 17 which includes a top anvillug 19 at its front end is suitably webbed to the front ends of therunners while ythe rear ends of the runners are cross connected by a web20 toprovide a strong rigid structure for the carriage as a whole.

The bottom portion of each runner block is defined by inwardly facingflanges 21 which extend the full length thereof and engage in the bottomgrooves 15 of the associated rail, and above the same, at each end of`each runner block are short guide lugs 22 which engage within thegrooves r111 of the associated rail. With such an arrangement of railsand runner blocks the carriage is l capable of a guided longitudinalmovement on the rails and may be removed andreplaced endwise withrespect to said rails when necessary. Thus the carriage cannot jump ktherails but is always held down thereon and this without a binding actionbetween 'the rails and carriage. It is here pointed out that when it isdesired to change the position of the carriage end for end upon saidrails, the thrust lugs 16 on the end plates in no manner interfere withthe endwise removal and replacement of said carriage with respect tosaid rails.

'Rising Afrom each runner 18 at a point substantially midway between itsends is a pair of laterally spaced ears 23 each having an opening 23a atits top inner end. In each ear is located a cup like bushing 23b closedat its outer end and which receives shaft like trunnions 23c of a leversocket24 to provide the axis for said socket. Each bushing has notches23d in its opposite sides to receive the side legs 23e of yinvertedU-shaped locking clips 231'. The distance between the ends of thetrunnions 23c of each lever socket approximates the distance between theends of the openings 23L in a pair of ears 23 of a runner 18.

In the assembly of the parts described, a lever socket 24 is positionedbetween its associated pair of ears 23 and the trunnions of said leversocket will then pass down through said openings 23IIL into the interiorof said ears. A bushing 23b is then inserted into the outer end of eachear to receive a trunnion 23, the bushings being so positioned as t0bring its notches 23d uppermost. This will dispose the notches in theplane of the openings 23?. An inverted U-shaped locking clip 23r is theninserted into said openings, when the legs 23e of said clip will engagein the notches 23d in the bushing and lock the same againstdisplacement. To remove a lever socket from its associated ears, theclips 23 are first removed upwardly out of the openings 23, the bushings23b are then removed endwise outwardly from the ears 23, after which thelever socket may be lifted upwardly, the trunnions 23c passing throughthe openings 23a. In the top end of each socket is disposed a lever bar24 which may be effectively lengthened by a pipe 25 and to the bottomend of each lever socket is pivoted a pawl 26. The free end of saidpawlwhich faces rearwardly isy adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 13 on theassociated rail and so that said pawl may so engage said teeth, aportion of each runner block to the rear of the ears thereon is cutawayto expose said teeth.

The interior bore of the housing 17 is tapered rearwardly and associatedtherewith is a plurality of jaws or blocks 27 tapered to fit said boreand which completely surround and tightly grip upon a portion of thepipe 28 operated upon, the end of which is usually provided with a pilotpoint 29. To increase the gripping action of the jaws or blocks, theinterior surfaces of them are provided with V shapedk teeth 27a.

In operation, assume that a short trench has been dug and the frontthereof provides the face or breast of the ground through which the pipeis to be pushed. The base of the device. is disposed upon the bottom ofthe trench and a cribbing 30is embedded in a portion of the trenchagainst which the flange 5 at the rear end of the base engages. In thispreliminary setting of the base in the trench, care of course is takenthat said base is substantially level. The pilot end of a section ofpipe is inserted through the housing 17 from the rear end'and the pawls26 are manually lifted out of engagement with the track teeth and thevcarriage is drawn rearwardly as far as it will go and the pawls againengaged with the ratchet teeth.

The gripping blocks 27 are then inserted into the housing from the frontend thereof and are then tapped on their heavier front ends to snuglyfit not only the taper of the housing but also to snugly fit upon thepipe. Preferably two or more operators are employed and said operatorspush forwardly on the levers. The levers may be actuated eithersimultaneously or independently in alternation, and this of course willcause the carriage to move forwardly on the base. ln this movement ofthe Carriage and due to the tapering formation of the gripping jawswhich engage entirely about the pipe7 the pipe of course movesforwardly, the pilot forcing its way through the ground and making anopening for the pipe. lVhen the levers are actuated independently theone pawl acts as the holding pawl while the other acts as the feedingpawl. In soft ground, where only one operator is required only one leverneed be employed and the pawl of the other lever will drag along as aholding pawl. When the carriage has moved forwardly on the base as faras it can go, it is of course necessary to tale a new bite on the pipe.To do this the housing anvil is tapped with a hammer to loosen thegripping jaws and with the levers in their forward positions the pawlsare manually grasped and pulled rearwardly to move the carriage to therear end of the base and the jaws reengaged in the housing and with thepipe and the levers are actuated as before.

To pull instead of push a section of pipe, the. carriage is pulledrearwardly of the frame so as to pass entirely beyond the same andbeyond the end of the pipe section. This separation of the parts ispermitted by the rail and carriage block structure before described andthereafter the base is reversed end for end and the carriage is replacedon the frame. The gripping blocks are placed in the housing so as togrip the pipe and when the levers are actuated a pull is exerted uponthe pipe which may thus be withdrawn.

When not in actual use the carriage slides freely on the frame and tolock the. carriage to the frame so that it will not move so as to injurethe persons handling the same7 l provide on one of the carriage blocks aspring pressed safety pin 3l which slides over the associated channel 3until it comes to an opening 32 therein. into which it snaps. This locksthe carriage to the fra-me until -said safety pin is manually withdrawn.

The frame as described is strong and rigid and will not buckle or bendout of shape under service strains. The carriage blocks 18 are socorrelated with respect to the frame or base rails that while they willslide freely thereon they cannot bind thereon and may be easily removedand replaced endwise with respect to said frame or base. By the leverarrangement described. great leverage is attained so that but a minimumamount of effort is required to force the pipe through the ground.

`While :in describing my invention I have referred in detail to theform, arrangement and construction of the various parts thereof, thesame is to be considered as merely illustrative and l do not wish to belimited thereto except as may be specically pointed out Vin the appendedclaims.

l claim as my invention l. A pipe pushing j ack embodying therein abase, a longitudinally extending rail along each side thereof, acarriage movable on said rails, pipe engaging means movable with thecarriage, lever operated mechanism on said carriage and including partsengaged with said rails for moving the carriage thereon and lugs risingfrom one. end of the base and f each engaged by an end of an associatedrail to receive the end thrust thereof,- each lug` being so formed as topermit the endwise removal and replacement of said carriage with respectto said rails without requiring their removal from the associated end ofthe base.

2. A pipe pushing jack embodying therein a `base having toothed guiderails, a carriage mounted on said rails, means operable for moving saidcarriage step by step along said rails, said carriage including acentrally disposed one piece, non-split housing with a tapered bore, anda plurality of'removable pipe gripping jaws insertable in said taperedbore from one end thereof and adapted to substantially surround aportion of the pipe to be pushed, movement in one direction of saidcarriage operating on said jaws to tight ly clamp them upon the pipewithout crushing the same.

3. A pipe pushing jaclr embodying therein a base having toothed guiderails7 a carriage mounted on said rails, means operable for moving saidcarriage step by step along said rails, said carriage including acentrally disposed one piece, non-split housing with a tapered bore, aplurality of removable pipe gripping jaws insertable in said taperedbore from one end thereof and adapted to substantially surround aportion of the pipe to be pushed, movement in one direction ofv saidcarriage operating on said jaws to tightly clamp them upon said pipe andan anvil on said housing adapted to be tapped so as to loosen said awsfrom said bore.

4. A pipe pushing jack including a base, toothed rails thereon, ahousing mounted on said rails, means operable to move said housing stepby step along said rails, said housing including pipe gripping means andlugs on said base and each engaged by the end of an associated rail totale up end thrust therefrom. said lugs being so disposed on said basewith respect to said rails as to permit an endwise withdrawal of saidcarriage from said rails and an endwise replacement thereon' withoutrequiring the removal of said lugs from said base.

5. A pipe pushing jack including a base, toothed rails on said base andeach having pairs of longitudinal grooves in each side face thereof, acarriage including runner blocks slidable on said rails and each havingparts engaged in said grooves in the sides of an associated rail, meansmounted on the carriage and including parts to operatively engage therails for imparting movement to said carriage thereon, and lugs on thebase and each engaged only with that part of an associated rail betweenthe grooves thereof for receiving end thrust therefrom, said lugs beingof a Width less than the spacing between said parts of the runner blockengaged in said grooves for permitting endwise Withdrawal andreplacement of the carriage on said rails.

6. A pipe pushing jack including a base, a pair of longitudinallyextending rails on said base and having grooves in each side thereof, acarriage including side runner blocks, and a one piece non-split housingbetween said blocks, said blocks being adapted to slide on said railsand having parts engaged in the grooves thereof, lever means associatedwith each runner block for imparting movement to said carriage and meanscapable of insertion and removable from one end of the housing forclamping upon a pipe.

7. A base for a pipe pushing jack comprising end plates, longitudinallyextending side members fixed to and connecting said end plates, atoothed rail ydisposed above and bolted to each side member and lugsintegral With each end plate and engaged with the ends of eachv rail.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 3rd day of July,1928.

CHARLES A. CRANE, Jn.

